Makassar bomber gets 19 years in jail

Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi

A judge sentenced a man to 19 years' jail on Thursday for his role in a bomb attack on a McDonald's restaurant in Makassar, which killed three people and injured 15.

A panel of judges at the Makassar District Court sentenced Wirahadi, 22, for the attack on the restaurant two years ago, for a term one year shorter than the 20 years demanded by the prosecution.

Reading the verdict, presiding judge Muhammad Said Mado said the defendant had violated laws on terrorism.

"The defendant had a role in the bombing that killed three and injured 15 others. The bomb caused more than Rp 1 billion of material losses," Mado said.

Wirahadi, is one of 20 defendants linked to the attacks on a McDonald's, a car showroom, NV Hadji Kalla, and an aborted bombing attempt on a local KFC outlet in December 2002.

Mado said Wirahadi planned to bomb a KFC outlet in Pengayoman area, while his accomplices Ashar, Arman and Mirjal targeted a McDonald's and NV Hadji Kalla.

On Dec. 5, the four went to their respective targets to detonate the bombs, but Wirahadi decided to abort the KFC bombing because "there were already many police at the scene".

He threw the bomb away in a nearby ditch and went home.

His accomplices executed their plans, killing three people in the McDonald's bombing and injuring 15 others. No one was injured in the explosion at NV Hadji Kalla.

The Makassar District Court has sentenced 16 defendants, with sentences ranging from two to 18 years' jail. Wirahadi is the 17th defendant being tried in the Makassar bombing cases.

Three other suspects in the cases are still at large, one has been acquitted, while three others are being tried at a Palopo court.